Bitter Legacy: The Boy of Two Clans
by ProtoLenneth
Summary: AU After the attack of the Kyuubi, the Inuzuka heiress insists on adopting Naruto. She never would've expected the great Uchiha prodigy to get in her way.
1. Prologue: All for One

This story was inspired by a story I helped a friend work on. In it he placed a brief mention of Shisui and presented him as a coolheaded, calm guy who accepts what comes to him. This got me thinking, "how many stories even mention him, let alone have him as an actual character?" And so this, a lovechild of overanalysis and insanity, was created. I hope you enjoy it and, if you want, drop a review. They always help.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto Wish I owned Shisui and Obito though

* * *

**Prologue: All for One**

The only sound in the dark, secluded room was the clock, ticking away the time until dawn, and frankly, he was exhausted. If he was in his prime, he wouldn't be exhausted at all, but he wasn't in his twenties anymore. In fact, he was fifty seven, and he was sure that he would've fallen asleep by now if it weren't for his young charge.

He had been spending the entire night guarding the child from the outside world which seemed so intent on bringing the child's young life to an end; already he had disposed of five of his own ninja who had attempted to take the boy's life.

Even though he was an infant, this child was distinguished from any other his age for several reason; one being the mass of blond hair that had already begun to cover his small, large head, and another being the fact that he was orphaned, left with only vague instructions in the care of Sarutobi Hajime. But most importantly, this blond orphan was the only protection that Konohagakure no Sato, one of the most powerful ninja villages in the entire world, had against the Kyūbi no Kitsune, which had, only hours ago, nearly decimated the village; destroying countless homes and just as many lives.

But of course, the rest of the village did not think like the Sandaime Hokage and the Yondaime Hokage, who had given his life to seal the Kyūbi within the child. They did not believe that the child protected them from the demon; instead, they believed that he possessed the potential to finish what the Kyūbi had started and insisted on dispatching him before he could tap into that potential and become the demon kitsune.

Sarutobi did not dismiss the theory as false, however. Because he himself did not know how much power the boy possessed or how much the Kyūbi influenced him. But he did know something.

He knew that for as he lived, he would never allow the meaningless, unjustifiable slaying of an infant child.

Sarutobi clenched his teeth in anger as something hit the door with a sickening thwap.

"In all of my years as Hokage, I would never have thought that the citizens of this great village would blame an innocent child for the deeds of a demon," he disgustedly thought as a loud howl of anguish was heard outside his room.

Already numerous people had been killed defending the ideals of their Sandaime Hokage, who had brought victory to Konoha in the war against Iwa only months earlier. And now, it seemed, another person gave their life. For who's cause Sarutobi did not know, but he would pray for their soul nonetheless.

It was then that splinters of wood were sent flying in sporadic directions as Sarutobi's desk cracked under the pressure of collision.

"I'm alright; don't worry about me" assured the man that collided with the elder man's desk as he got back up onto his feet and charged back in to the battle outside the Hokage's office.

Sarutobi cursed himself for not being able to protect those who fought so valiantly and selflessly for his cause. But he knew that the second he left the child alone he would not only fail the child, but the Yondaime and all of the people who died or were injured defending it.

He quickly brought the katana down behind him in a crescent arc, the reverberation of metal on metal ringing throughout the room.

"Ichigo; ANBU squad captain reporting in," announced the masked man behind him who held a wavering guard with a double bladed kunai against Sarutobi's katana. Simultaneously the two put their weapons down, the two looking into each others eyes.

"How is it out there?" Sarutobi asked as he glanced over towards the crib where the infant slept. He did not have the faintest clue as to how the child could sleep at a time like this, and frankly, he thought it was better that he wasn't awake.

"Once the Uchiha and Hyūga shinobi began taking action the amount of hostility dramatically decreased. At the present time only a fraction of the original rioters remain hostile; the others have either been knocked unconscious, dispatched, or simply admitted defeat and left. The remaining hostility will be quelled by dawn the latest," informed the man as he also looked at the peaceful infant. "Permission for inquiry?" the man asked without taking his eyes off the child.

"Permission granted," Sarutobi grunted.

"What will you do with the child? I doubt that the rest of the village will just peacefully comply with him living here," the man inquired as he walked over towards the large window next to the mahogany desk that was cluttered with paperwork of various forms and stared into the beautiful night sky with bright stars scattered haphazardly along the dark, abyssal sky with a full moon partially hidden by wispy, gray clouds.

"Truthfully, I can't even begin to think of what I will do with him. But all I know is that he won't have a happy childhood here; there are too many people out there wish for him to die. And those who don't wish for him to die will wish for him to suffer," Sarutobi sighed. The sounds of battle ceased from the hallway, and the silence was rewarding to the old man's ears.

"All this for the death of one man, it sound foolish, no?" Ichigo asked as he observed the battle outside end; the invaders retreating from the various clans that banned together to protect the Hokage.

"Don't you dare speak ill of Arashi; he was a great man," Sarutobi warned, his voice a blade. Ichigo turned back to faced his superior, and Sarutobi could almost swear that the man was sorrowfully smiling beneath his mask.

"Don't worry Sandaime, I hold nothing but respect for the man my otōto died for," Ichigo responded as he walked back towards the Sandaime and the makeshift bassinet in which the infant was just beginning to stir. He stood over the bassinet and peered into the infant's small, beady blue eyes and for several seconds none of the three knew what would happen next. The boy then began to cry loudly, causing both men to cringe at the high-pitched oral assault. Ichigo then picked the baby up and slowly rubbed the infant's back, coaxing him to stop his wailing.

"Sandaime, I have a request to make of you," Ichigo said as he held the baby.

"And what would that be?" Sarutobi asked as he wearily sat down in a nearby chair to rest his weary bones. His eyes began to blur with exhaustion and his limbs felt like lead; it seemed as if old age always seemed to catch up to you, no matter how fit you are or how skilled. "And if it's to kill the boy, please leave this village," he commanded seriously.

"No, that's not it in the slightest," answered the ANBU captain as he felt his shirt becoming wet with drool. "I want to be the caretaker and eventual sensei of the brat," he said.

"I'm sorry, I think my hearing is going. Did you just say you want to take care of him?" Sarutobi asked. He never would have thought that anyone, nevertheless a sixteen-year-old ANBU captain, would volunteer for the task. He feared that the only place where the boy could go was the local orphanage, where he would most likely be tortured in ways unpreventable by even himself, the Hokage.

"Yes, I request you to allow me to look after him. If the man my brother died for placed the last of his energy and hope into this child, then I want to make sure that their deaths were not in vain," he explained.

"And how do you expect to propose this to your clan?" Sarutobi asked.

"I don't. I would be leaving this village for one of our allied non-shinobi villages after the funeral tomorrow," he answered.

"Thank you," Sarutobi said. He would have said more, but he was reaching his limits and coherent thought was beginning to be a struggle. "The name given to him by his parents was Uzumaki Naruto," he informed.

Ichigo then removed his cat mask with one hand while holding on to the drooling Naruto with the other and allowed it to fall on to the floor. Soon Naruto and Ichigo were both staring into each others eyes like before, but instead of seeing only slits where his eyes were, Naruto gazed, almost calculatingly, into the man's dark brown eyes.

"Welcome to the world of the living, Uzumaki Naruto. It seems tough, almost impossible to survive at times, but there's always a way to survive. I'm going to teach you how to find the way to survive and then you can live up to the expectations of the Yondaime Hokage. I am Uchiha Shisui, and welcome to the first day of training," Shisui said.

Any other onlooker may have thought it odd that a sixteen year old was talking to a newborn infant as if it could actually comprehend words, but to Sarutobi it seemed an almost natural thing to do. After all, he was positive that with Shisui as his mentor and caretaker, Naruto would need to learn how to comprehend, and fast if he was to actually surive.

And what he found most interesting was the look of Naruto's look as Shisui said all of this.

If he was not a newborn, the look on the infant's face would almost certainly be interpreted as comprehension.

And for the first time in Naruto's life, he smiled.

And for the first time since the death of his otōto, Uchiha Shisui smiled.

As he watched this bonding ceremony, Sarutobi could not help but think that he made the right decision by adhering to the Uchiha's request.

"It may seem foolish to do this all for one person, but, in the end, isn't it truly worth it?"


	2. I: I Want

**Chapter 1: I Want**

Reality was still a foreign concept for her. She just couldn't believe, couldn't believe that he had died. Her sensei, Kazama Arashi, who she shared six entire years of her life with, growing, living, and having fun with, died.

As she looked around her, she could see just about the whole of the village here, mourning for the dearly departed Yondaime Hokage. This was the first occasion that she had ever seen more than one or two clans at a funeral together; usually they were bickering over useless politics or fighting over whose clan was the strongest.

She looked up into the face of the man next to her, and she saw that he, by some miracle, had stayed perfectly composed, hardly batting an eyelash at the mourning and grieving people around him. She envied him for this, for she couldn't help but cry for Arashi. She couldn't help but regret all the times that she had shown up late for practice or all the times that she had ignored his advice in her stubbornness. All she wanted was to look into the face of her sensei one last time and apologize for every wrong thing she had ever done and tell him that she loved him like the father she never had.

"Be strong Rin," the voice tickled her ear like the wind and was just as calm. But she heard something in it, something else; something broken.

"He's probably crying on the inside," Rin thought to herself as another person stepped up to the podium completely draped in deathly black satin to talk about the man they would say they've known for all of their lives. "He's just….more used to this than I am." And it was true; Hatake Kakashi had to attend the funerals of his mother and father, his best friend, and now his sensei also.

She tried to see who it was that was speaking, but the glare of the sun obscured the vision.

"It's not supposed to be sunny out; it's supposed to pouring rain out. The sky is supposed to be dark and gloomy and cloudy. Why are you out here? Why are you so bright out? You shouldn't even be out! You should be mourning in a veil of jet black clouds and crying for him!" Rin mentally yelled at the sun. But it didn't seem to take any direction from anything; the sky was still blue and cloudless and the sun was still as bright as ever.

"Rin, are you sure you're up for this?" Kakashi asked her as he reassuringly placed a hand on her shoulder. The man who had been speaking walked down from the podium, an emotional wreck.

"Jirayia," thought Rin empathetically. It had been the Gama Sannin that had been in the glare of the sun and broke down during his speech. "It must be even harder for him; losing all three of his former pupils in the span of a year," she thought as the podium was empty, no one stepping up to it.

"I'm positive," Rin answered as strongly as she could, smiling weakly at her crush and former shinobi. "After, all, it's the least I can do for him, right?" Kakashi gave a slight nod of his head and pulled his teammate into an embrace.

"You always did think of others before yourself," Kakashi commented quietly before releasing the girl, whose cheeks were powdered with a light blush.

"Thank you, Kakashi," Rin said as she made her way through the small amount of crowd that was in front of her, she had woken up before dawn to be near the front, until she was finally walking up the small set of stairs to the podium where countless others had already spoken.

And as she stood in front of it and gazed at the congregation of people waiting for her to speak, she knew for the first time in her life every word that she would say.

"Hello, my name is Inuzuka Rin," she tentatively started. "Kazama Arashi had been my sensei for the past six years, and this truly was heartbreaking to hear. I wish I could say that I knew him well, but in reality I never truly knew who he was. Every time I'd think I know what kind of person he is, he'd contradict it and show a new side to him. I may not have known him well, but Kazama Arashi has been like a father to me.

Every time I'd cry I would know that he'd accept me with open arms, and every time I'd do something right he'd congratulate me with a smile. But more than that, he was always there to help me. Every time I was injured he'd always be there to bandage me up, always be there to heal the pain.

That is why I decided to became a medic-nin, actually. So that, maybe one day, I can heal the pain of those close to me. And I asked him, one time, why; why he did everything that he did for us. He could have told us that it was because he was our sensei and it was his obligation to do so. But that's not what he said.

But, instead, he told me that Kakashi, Obito, and I were his family, and that's what a family does; they protect each other and heal the pain. I began to realize just how lucky I truly was at that moment.

I had an entire clan as my family, a mother, cousins, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and dogs to make me feel needed; to make me feel alive.

He only had three fourteen year olds. And that, I believe is true strength; to make the most out of your current situation, no matter how bad it may seem. It makes me cry, even now, thinking how he would go to a home where there weren't laughing children or a caring wife for him to say "I'm home" to.

But most importantly, we should follow his example, and live every day as if life is a privilege, not a gift. We should take this day to work towards a better future not only for ourselves, but for those around us who aren't as fortunate as we are. Maybe, instead of turning a blind eye to the suffering around us and say that everything's fine, we should help heal the pain of suffering.

Arashi Kazama may not have been my biological father, but he is the only father I know, and, while I may not have known him well, I do know this; he has given us this day, this beautiful autumn day to celebrate what we have and to remember all of the good times that we've shared together.

And I know that he's smiling down from heaven on us, just like when he was alive because all of you are here today.

Uchiha and Hyūga, Aburame and Inuzuka; every single one of you, despite who you may be standing next to, came here of your own will. And, that, in my opinion, is the greatest gift you ever could've given him. Thank you, all of you, for coming," spoke Rin. She meant every word she spoke, and as she stepped down from the podium, she looked up to the Sun, and, her eyes blurred with tears, smiled, hoping that, somewhere out there, her sensei would see it and smile back at her, just like before he or Obito died. Everything could be fine then, if he was smiling.

---

"So, you're leaving us?" the boy asked. He stood in the doorway of his cousin's completely white room that was devoid of any decoration except for a bed and a bureau for clothes and equipment.

"I'm only going on a mission, it's not anything you should worry about," assured Shisui as he inspected his weapon supply. He then dropped a shuriken on to the ground, deeming it unfit for his use and the clang of metal on floorboards reverberated throughout the room.

"You're lying," the boy insisted bluntly. Another clang reverberated throughout the room.

"I'm not lying Itachi; it's only a mission. It's an S-class mission, but that's all it is; a mission," he insisted. He nodded curtly to himself as he reattached the weapon pouch to his waist and then began checking his supply of rations.

"It's because of Obito, isn't it?" Itachi asked, not once averting his eyes from Shisui's back. His instincts were shouting at him to cry, to scream, to yell, to beg him not to leave. To beg Shisui not to leave him.

Like how Obito did. How Obito had told him the same thing before he left for his mission in Iwa. He had smiled at him and ruffled his hair and told him not to worry; that it was his first day as a genin and that it was a day to remember.

And he remembered that day well, when Obito's teammates had come home bearing the bad news; Itachi's cousin, his only friend, had been killed all in the name of war. And despite all of the sympathetic gazes and words his teammates and peers had directed towards him, he only found true comforting from Shisui, perhaps the only other person who truly appreciated Obito for who he was and not his track record as a ninja, which indicated that he was only sub-standard.

But Itachi restrained himself from expressing these feelings, for long ago his father branded into him the knowledge that, as heir to perhaps one of the most powerful clans in the history of the world, emotion was a liability and a useless figment of the human mind.

Shisui felt a disgruntled sigh rise in his throat, but kept it down.

'_After all, one of his baby sitters has already died on him; why shouldn't he be paranoid?' _Shisui asked himself. He turned around to face his younger cousin, and the boy that his uncle had told him to look after, and, for the first time in his life, he had seen something other than cold calculation in the prodigy's eyes.

Ever since he was young, Itachi had always been able to act emotionless, stoic; just like the Uchiha heir should. But sometimes Shisui wondered if he pulled off the act a little too well; that he acted inhuman a little too naturally.

But as his eyes met the endless dark spheres of Itachi, he could see the beginnings of fear, of sadness, of paranoia, of anger; a glimmer of humanity.

"I'll come back Itachi, I promise you," Shisui gravely told the younger boy. "And I never break my word, ever," he assured as he clipped the bag of his rations to his belt. He then stood up and slipped on his sheathed katana and picked up his mask from next to him.

"I'll be waiting for you," Itachi vowed, his voice still not wavering.

"I want you to do something for me though, when I'm gone," Shisui requested as his vision was narrowed to the confines of two eyeholes. "I want you to make sure that you care for your younger brother, Sasuke. He may seem annoying at times, but once he's gone, you'll miss him. So make sure that you help him become strong."

Even through the wood Itachi could see his cousin smile in reminiscence.

"Goodbye Itachi," Shisui stated, his voice drowned in the memories of the past.

"Goodbye Shisui," Itachi said as the older boy disappeared, leaving not a trace behind.

And Itachi smiled as he noticed the sword that Shisui had happened to leave on his bed, with a simple card next to it.

"Itachi, I hope this tool assists you achieve the greatness that you are destined for."

"Thank you, Shisui," Itachi whispered as he felt the smooth sheath in between his hands and the kanji that was carved into it so many years ago.

Small beads of water finally began to assault the glass paned window, taps echoing throughout the air around it.

---

The buildings blurred past her as her feet pounded against the dried earth beneath them, propelling her forward at tremendous speeds. But she knew that it probably wouldn't be enough speed, that she wouldn't be able to catch him in time. Rin immediately dismissed these thoughts from her head, however, as she pushed even more chakra into her feet.

Only an hour ago the services for the Yondaime had been given, and soon afterwards Kakashi and Rin had found themselves to be alone with none other than Jiraiya, Uchiha Fugaku, and Sarutobi Hajime.

"_It's a shame that he never was able to raise a family of his own," voiced Fugaku, his eyes glued to the photo of Arashi that was placed on the memorial. "I remember, even when he was a child, he had always wanted one." He then flicked his eyes over towards the teenage girl standing next to him. "That was an excellent speech, Inuzuka. I did not expect it to come from someone with your…colorful familial background." _

_Rin was about to retort when a sharp grip on her shoulder stopped her, and she looked to see that it was none other than Jiraiya. _

"_Now is not the time for debating which clan is best; today we must work on uniting in this time of crisis to rebuild and revive," the sannin chastised, casting a gaze at his own mentor, who seemed to be exhausted. "Sensei, what happened to the kid? I had gotten here as soon as I had heard the news, but, well…I was too late." _

_Sarutobi's entire body seemed to tense at the question and his face creased into a frown. _

"_He has been taken care of," Sarutobi answered cryptically, drawing curious looks from everyone around him._

"_So he was actually…adopted? And so soon?" Kakashi asked suspiciously._

"_No, I cannot say that he was lucky enough to be adopted. However, he is being cared for and taken care of," Sarutobi answered sullenly. He was still on edge from last night and was not up to being interrogated by his own pupil._

_Rin slowly balled her hands into fists and clenched her teeth._

"_This boy, he had given up everything, not even of his own will, so that this village could be saved and not one person could offer their love to him? Not one person in this village wishes to honor the very man they mourned for today?" Rin asked herself. And idea then began to formulate in her mind; if no one else would offer their love, then that meant that she could. She may only be a kid herself, but she knew that her family would respect her decision as an adult; after all, wasn't it her own mother who had taught her that the greatest injustice was to deny love to those who deserved it?_

"_Hokage-sama, I…I want to adopt him, the boy with the Kyūbi sealed in him," Rin stated forcefully, her eyes blazing with a determination characteristic in her family. She brought the full brunt of their effects on the Hokage, refusing to focus on anyone around her. _

_This got slightly varied reactions among the other four, but all of them were of shock._

_"Rin, you're only fourteen, you would only throw your life away. Is that what you want; to throw your life away?" Kakashi demanded, anger in his voice. _

_"I'm willing to make that sacrifice," Rin insisted. "If this child could unwillingly give his life save me, I could at least repay the debt." _

_"Listen to your friend, girl," Fugaku interrupted, glaring coldly at her. "There is no reason for you to interfere with matters that don't concern you. The Sandaime has told you that he has taken care of the matter."_

_"How has the matter been taken care of? How could he possibly be happy growing up knowing that he's only being "trained?" How can he enjoy childhood if he has no one to love him? Tell me Mr. Uchiha; tell me how he could be happy!" Rin demanded, her body quivering in rage. _

_"The girl has a point," spoke Jiraiya, ignoring the hateful glare that Fugaku directed towards him. "It would benefit the boy greatly if he grew up within a prominent clan; after all, why would anyone risk beginning a war with people who could demolish them?"_

_"Then we Uchiha should be the ones to take the boy," Fugaku spat. "Why let the Inuzuka take him in? He'd become a filthy, good for nothing barbarian and eat dogfood just like the rest of them!" _

_"Fugaku, enough!" Sarutobi snapped. "You bring nothing but shame to your clan by speaking in such a manner." He then turned to Rin, who still held a fiery determination in her eyes. _

"_You do realize that by doing this, you will not only be responsible for yourself, but for him also? You will have to provide him a home, nutrition, and love. It will not be an easy road, no matter how you look at it; I know, I myself have two sons. But you will have to bear the hatred of the other villagers for caring for him, but the hardest of all will be watching him be ignored and degraded by those around him for something that was not of his judgment. Are you sure you are willing to give up so much Rin?"_

"_Yes, I'm positive. How could I live with myself if I was not right there, assisting him along the way?" Rin asked without skipping a beat, the determination in her eyes exchanged for a deep compassion. _

"_The ANBU who was going to train Uzumaki Naruto, the boy, should be leaving the village soon. If you hurry, you may be able to catch him and inform him that you are now the official guardian of Uzumaki Naruto," Sarutobi informed, smiling at the sight of the girl's eyes light up with joy._

"_Thank you so very much Sandaime," Rin thanked with a deep bow before running off to intercept the ANBU._

And now she rapidly began to approach the gates, the chakra usage slowly beginning to take its toll on her. But despite this fact, she pushed even more chakra into her feet as she saw a man in ANBU garb with something strapped to his back appear in front of the gates.

"Wait!" Rin cried out in frustration as the ANBU advanced towards the gates. "You, with Naruto, stop!" she shouted. The ANBU instantly spun around to face her, and then, before she could blink, he materialized in front of her, a kunai at her neck.

"How do you know his name?" the man asked, his voice ice.

"My name is Inuzuka Rin, and I am the legal guardian of Uzumaki Naruto," Rin stated proudly, staring fearlessly into the masked face of the ANBU.

"I don't believe you," he said flatly, putting just enough pressure on the kunai to draw a drop of blood. "Prove to me that you don't wish to kill him."

"Why don't you prove to me that you don't plan to kill him once you leave the village?" retorted Rin.

"I don't need to prove anything to you; if you tried to lay a finger on me I'd kill you," the ANBU answered.

"Then why should I prove anything to you?" Rin demanded.

"Because you're a member of a clan of simple minded barbarians who have no tact or political skill," the ANBU answered boredly, unfazed by the rage growing in the girl.

"Does it hurt to have your family talked down upon Rin? Does it make you angry that someone who doesn't know the people closest to you decide they have the power to judge them?"

Rin couldn't say anything, for she remembered all the times before her teammates and her became family, when she would look down upon Obito and insult him behind his back.

She thought of all the times that she had called him weak because he lost to her when they sparred; of all the times she shunned him because he "wasn't good enough" for her. She had regretted ever doing it once Obito and her passed the Chunin Exam and he had almost died protecting her in the secondary round. She had apologized over and over to him and cried while he was in a coma for an entire week. He had excepted her apologies once he had woken up, and ever since then she held him in high regards. But still, she never gave him the attention he deserved, always saving that special attention for Hatake Kakashi.

"If that is how you treat your loved ones I fear for this boy if you truly are his guardian," the man said, as if reading her mind. He then turned around on a dime and began to walk away from her, but she had grabbed his arm.

"I don't trust you," she stated angrily.

"Neither I you," the ANBU said.

"I'm coming with you," she stated, letting go of his arm and walking up next to him.

"I won't save you if you get hurt."

"No one will save you if you hurt Naruto."

"If you try and hurt him or interrupt his training, I vow I'll kill you in your sleep and throw you into the marshes," the man threatened as he walked towards the Konoha gates, Rin on his heels.

"My name is Uchiha Shisui," he introduced. "I'm disappointed, really. I thought my brother had better taste in women."

"Wait…your…brother?" Rin asked, her eyes wide in shock.

"Oh, didn't Obito tell you that he had an older brother who he confided everything to because no one else would listen?" Shisui maliciously asked, turning his head to face the Inuzuka chūnin, only to find that she avoided any kind of eye contact. "I thought so."

But even though Rin had been humiliated, insulted, and threatened in the past two minutes, she didn't doubt either of her two decisions.

"After all, what harm could it be traveling and training with an ANBU? I wish it wasn't an Uchiha though," she thought to herself as she glanced at Shisui's back. "Especially this one."

---

What do you think? Good, bad, neutral? Please review.


End file.
